(WASHINGTON)—The Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM) has launched Not One Dollar, a national campaign against Trump’s vicious budget. This campaign is focused on elected officials at every level of government, insisting they fight for immigrant families and against Trump’s funding requests to deport immigrants. Young leaders, national allies and champions on Capitol Hill have pledged to protect immigrant communities from the vile attacks from the right-wing.

“We are demanding that our allies, partners and elected officials at every level of government—from Senators and Congressmen and mayors and city council members—fight like hell to keep immigrant families together,” said Kica Matos, spokeswoman for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM). “Not one dollar should go to Trump’s odious budget that will undoubtedly destroy our communities.”

“Trump’s enforcement machine is unlike anything we have seen before—it’s enforcement on steroids,” added Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). “Every day, immigrants are being terrorized by our government with the use of our tax dollars. Enough is enough.”

Five components shape the national campaign: uplifting the stories of families, movement-building trainings focused on growing youth involvement, a robust social media campaign, civic engagement ahead of the 2018 elections and congressional visits.

“I’m going to do everything possible to make our communities safer, and to keep our families together,” said Congressman Luis V. Gutiérrez (D-Ill). “If there was a budget that eliminated Planned Parenthood, or same-sex marriage, or people’s ability to form unions, Democrats would stand together to oppose it without question. I expect the same Democrats to stand up for immigrant families and support not one dollar for Trump’s deportation machine.”

More than 100 progressive allies have signed on to join the fight against funding for Trump’s deportation agenda.

Jonathan Lipman, Chief Strategy Officer at Bend the Arc Jewish Action said, “These budget proposals, and the radical increase in deportation that they would enable, are exactly what Trump’s ugly rhetoric on immigrants looks like when you turn it into policy. They will lead to the cruel separation by force of thousands of families. Families who came to America in search of a better life, just as so many of our Jewish ancestors did. We’ve seen before where rhetoric and policies like Donald Trump’s can lead, and we won’t stand for it in this country. We’re very proud to join in this effort from FIRM to resist the inhumane deportation machine.”

Bridgette Gomez, director of Latinx Outreach and Engagement for Planned Parenthood added, “No one’s health should be compromised because of their immigration status. We need policies that bring communities together, not ones that waste our public funding. No dollar should be spent on separating families. We should be investing in policies that support our communities.”

The Not One Dollar campaign is the line in the sand to allies and foes alike: stand with us or be prepared to meet the collective resistance of our movement and our allies.

(WASHINGTON)— Kica Matos, spokesperson for the Fair Immigration Reform Movement (FIRM), issued the statement below after the House Appropriations Committee voted on FY18 funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS):

“Predictably, Republicans on the House Appropriations Committee failed to grow spines and vote to keep hardworking immigrant families together. Instead, they rubberstamped Trump’s odious deportation agenda and approved his DHS budget that includes $4.4 billion for detention beds, $1.6 billion for the border wall and nearly $300 million to recruit and hire new ICE and border patrol agents.

The consequences of Trump’s xenophobia will have long-lasting effects that span generations. The ramp up of Trump’s deportation machine will mean more family separation and more kids left without their parents. Liliana Cruz Mendez, Andres Magana Ortiz and Jesus Lara Lopez—along with their families and communities—are just a few of the most recent victims of Trump’s deportation agenda.

The line has been drawn, both for champions of immigrant’s rights and for those who have chosen to be on the wrong side of history. We demand not one dollar is allocated for separating families. We demand lawmakers at all levels stand up against bigotry and work on long-term affirmative solutions for immigrants.”

“Lee Francis Cissna has a track record of adopting anti-immigrant positions, including in his current role as director of immigration policy at the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Policy. It is no wonder that already hate groups such as the Center for Immigration Studies are salivating over this nomination. Instead of nominating a candidate who would uphold the neutrality of this agenda, Trump has instead nominated someone who will be more than willing to carry out his mass deportation agenda.

“To the Senators voting to move Cissna’s nomination closer to a confirmation: we are watching you. A vote for Cissna is a vote against families. USCIS should not be led by a xenophobe who is already playing a crucial role in Trump’s bigoted agenda.”